All Because of a Stupid Stone
by The Goddess of Elements
Summary: Violane Mitchell lived a normal life, vacationing on her aunt's farm for her birthday. But when she receives a magical stone as a present and turns it thrice, she's thrown into a strange series of events she never saw coming. And it's up to Violane to save the whole thing from crumbling down.


Violane Mitchell groaned as she slowly woke and looked around. She gasped with delight. The night hadn't been a dream! She was really here, at the farm, staying with her aunt Ruby and uncle Harry. They'd arrived late last night, so late that Violane wasn't sure whether she'd dreamed it or not. But she was really here, at her favourite place on Earth.

She got up and realized something with a jolt: today was her birthday! She raced to her dresser and pulled a pair of cut-off jeans and a plaid t-shirt from it. She put those on, along with form-fitting biking gloves and a black horseback riding helmet.

She hurried downstairs and was met in the kitchen by Aunt Ruby. "And just where do you think you're going, young lady?" she demanded.

"Out riding," she stated.

"Not till you've had breakfast!" Aunt Ruby exclaimed. "Come on, I've made pancakes from scratch!" Violane had to admit, she loved Aunt Ruby's from-scratch pancakes.

Violane sat down at the counter and waited for Aunt Ruby to put the plate full of hot, steaming pancakes in front of her. When she did, she spread an almost-mountain of butter and a lake of syrup on it.

She cut the pieces into squares, just the way she liked it, and started to eat. Aunt Ruby watched her with an amused expression.

Violane finished the meal and jumped up from the stool. "Wait!" Aunt Ruby cried. "Before you go, let me give you this!"

After handing Violane a backpack full of snacks and a water bottle, she also gave Violane a rather large book. "It's your birthday present," she explained to her. "Open it!"

Violane smiled at her aunt and ripped the present open. It was a book about dinosaurs, Violane's obsession. One of her many obsessions, next to horses.

"It's great!" Violane cried, jumping up and hugging her aunt. "Thank you!"

Aunt Ruby chuckled. "Off you go, now."

Violane nodded and hurried to the stables. She let Carter, her beloved horse, out of his paddock and groomed him. She cleaned him up and fed him, and fitted the saddle onto his back. She took a bag of sugar cubes from her pack and presented a few to him. He ate them from the palm of her hand gratefully.

"Let's go, eh?" she said to him. She mounted the saddle fixed onto his back and steered him out of the stables and towards the trail they frequently took.

She sighed as they ventured out into the area behind the farm. "How are you doing, ol' boy?" she asked the horse, knowing he wouldn't understand a word she said, but doing it anyways. "Did you miss me?" Violane smiled. She already knew the answer.

They went further down the trail before stopping to rest beside a tree. Carter nibbled at the grass, while Violane looked at the book Aunt Ruby had given her.

"This looks interesting!" she commented to Carter, who said nothing, of course. He was a horse. Why would he say anything?

She opened the book, and something small slid out. "What's this?" she wondered aloud, picking it up. It was a small, round stone.

"Ah, old boy, if only you knew..." Violane sighed. "You're pretty much my only friend."

"I'm honored to hear you say that," Carter said, to her immediate surprise. She screamed and scrambled away from him.

"You're... you're... you're talking!" she cried.

"Of course I am," said Carter calmly. "I've always talked. You just never heard me."

"This is... this is... insane!" Violane screamed. "Oh my God. I'm going crazy! Aren't I?"

"No, you're not," said Carter. Violane screamed again. "Calm down, Violane."

Violane froze when the horse spoke her name. "You know my name?" she whispered.

"Of course I do," Carter said. "Just like I know Ruby's and Harry's. Ruby was once my rider. She passed me on to you."

"Oh my God, how old are you?" Violane cried.

"Several decades," Carter replied. "Now, if I were you, I'd turn that stone. Thrice should do it."

"Why?" Violane snapped.

"Trust me," Carter assured her. "Get on me. And then turn that stone thrice round. Do you trust me?"

Violane nodded. "I trust you." She got on the saddle on Carter's back and turned the stone three times. And then, everything in Violane's world vanished. And she could see nothing more.


End file.
